


I Came To Break The Wall

by fictionalfaerie



Series: Could I Call This Place Home? [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 07:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18089846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalfaerie/pseuds/fictionalfaerie
Summary: They may be stuck in their childhood again, but they're determined not to let things stay the same.When Klaus is sent off for 'special training', Ben starts changing how the rules work.---The more Ben looks at the empty chair, the more his blood runs cold. He can feel the thing within him shifting uncomfortably, in tune with his mood.





	I Came To Break The Wall

**Author's Note:**

> -Title from "Land of All" by Woodkid, because I hate naming things and will always default to songs. 
> 
> -There is the very briefest, lightest, casual-est, single line reference to past self harm. I almost didn't warn for it, as I feel like it's a blink-and-you-miss-it thing and isn't even remarkably obvious to those not actively looking for it, but I thought I'd rather warn than let it blindside someone who would get it for what it is. If you're concerned, toss a comment or message or something and I'm happy to give you warning or even send you a version without the line.  
> Also, as this is rather Klaus-centric, there's a wee bit of mention with past substance abuse and some of the myriad of dangers that are the result of suffering from addiction- if you're worried on that, same as above- just let me know and I'll edit some stuff out for you if you'd like or tell you where to tread lightly.  
> Overall I tried not to emphasize either of these things but did feel much better when I added the bits I did as opposed to editing them out, so hopefully they're as light and non-issue as possible? 
> 
> -This has not been edited by anyone other than myself. If you see a glaring issue that takes you out of it, by all means please let me know. I know I caught quite a few "used the wrong sibling" instances in my read throughs and I know it always makes me ansy when I notice something and can't find a way to point it out to others.  
> If you're interested in getting fic rambles and bouncing ideas and potentially helping edit, please let me know! My bestie who usually does this is tackling some huge and awesome life changes and I feel bad bothering her with it, despite dragging her into the show and her general happiness at dealing with my rambles.

It’s been over a month, and yet Ben still feels awkward at dinner time, seated silently around the table with the rest of the family, sandwiched between Five and Luther. 

It would probably be better if he were next to Klaus. Years of only interacting with Klaus have made him a bit codependent, he’s not ashamed to admit. It works, though, because Klaus and his particular brand of peculiarities are more than agreeable to some codependency. He’s pretty sure it’s something to do with how he’s seen first hand how Klaus’s powers work and how they leave him unsettled; the others just write off his quirks as junkie related and attention seeking. Ben knows, though, that (almost) all of those eccentricities are self defense mechanisms. Even the alcohol and drugs served as armor against a world that only he has to sift through, as much as Ben hated to admit. Ben had helped for a bit when he was dead and part of that other world, but now that they’re back here Klaus has been left alone again, and without the drugs and alcohol even. So, yeah, codependency. But it’s healthier than a lot of the alternatives… 

He’d maybe even feel better if he were next to Diego. The first time around, Diego had always been a solid presence in his life, quiet and serious but dependable. They’d spent a fair chunk of their first childhood sharing secrets and eyerolls. While he’d been dead, Diego had also been the one Klaus could rely on the most. It was probably the police scanner alerting him, but it seemed like he was always there when Klaus woke up from an overdose or broke out of one of the mandatory stints in rehab. He’d complained the whole time, sure, but he’d ferried Klaus- and Ben, by extension, even though he didn’t put that together- around and they’d spent more than a few nights crashed out in his apartment. That quiet and serious childhood meant that it had been easy to pretend that things were normal, that he wasn’t dead, sitting beside Diego on the couch and watching movies while Klaus slept his latest low off in the bedroom, that they were just waiting on their dumb brother to wake up and were both too exhausted to do anything else. 

But he’s here, beside Five and Luther, while they’re over there with Allison. 

Occasionally during the moments when he feels most awkward, forgetting how to act with so many people around him and aware of him, Allison will bump her foot against his, catching attention and smiling of him. It's nice. Not enough to change his feelings about family dinner time, but nice. 

Hargreeves is always last to arrive, sitting down as Mom finishes dishing out their servings and signaling the beginning of dinner. They all know not to be late; being late results in terribly long lectures and extra training, more unpleasantness than it's worth, no matter the reason. 

It's his arrival that causes Ben to flinch one Thursday evening. Klaus hasn't made it to the table yet, and he's always particularly hateful after a Hargreeves lecture. Instead of sighing and glaring at Klaus's seat or asking after him, Hargreeves just starts dinner. The others don't really seem to notice; Diego only shrugs when Ben manages to catch his eye. 

The more Ben looks at the empty chair, the more his blood runs cold. He can feel the thing within him shifting uncomfortably, in tune with his mood. Allison's foot bumps his and he realizes he's slid his chair back, just a bit, and that his hands have clenched into fists on the table. Allison is looking at him in concern and Diego's stopped eating, but no one else seems to have noticed. 

“Where is Klaus?” He asks. His voice is quiet, but in the silence of the room it seems to echo loudly, his worry taking on wings and growing. 

“Number Four will not be joining us tonight.” Hargreeves stresses Klaus's number, but doesn't even bother to look at him as he answers. 

“Why? Where is he?” 

Hargreeves sets his fork down, turning slightly to fully face Ben as he answers, voice sharp and commanding, “Number Four is on a training exercise. Now be silent and resume your meal.”

Ben feels the whole room turn cold, feels terror shoot through him. Klaus only ever got one type of training exercise. Ben had only been around for one, Hargreeves catching him off guard as he tried to sober up at Ben's request, right after he'd died. Once had been enough, though. After that, he hadn't said a word about the drugs or alcohol until Klaus overdosed the first time. 

“Ben,” Allison says, voice concerned. He looks at her and only then realizes he's standing. Luther looks ready to reach out and grab him. Diego seems ready to jump out of his chair, while Vanya's slid closer to Diego and gone pale. Five has scooted away from him although he looks like this might be the most interesting thing he's seen in a while. 

He feels it crawling in his chest, as upset and frustrated as he is- ever since the theatre it's been oddly protective of Klaus, after all. He should sit down. He should eat. He should wait until dinner is over and the others have gone back to their rooms. He should. 

Instead, he steps further back, facing Hargreeves fully. “Where. Is. Klaus.” 

Hargreeves hasn't moved, not even to look at him again after dismissing his question the second time. He continues cutting the steak in front of him and scowling as he answers, his tone inviting no argument, “I am positive that this is none of your concern, Number Six.” 

Ben doesn’t even think, just reaches inward and all he can feel in his chest is an answering call of panic, a wave of worry that perfectly echoes his own. The tentacles that wrap around Hargreeves’s arms and neck aren’t sent by him, but he makes no move to call them back once they’re out. 

“Ben, what are-” 

“Shut it, Luther,” Diego hisses, and from the corner of his eye Ben sees Luther take an aborted step toward him from where he's scrambled out of the way. Allison seems to be across the table from where she usually is, hand clutched in Vanya's, and while Five certainly hasn’t lost his interest in the situation, he’s moved well out of Ben’s apparent reach. Ben doesn’t have the heart to tell him that technically nothing in this room is out of his reach. 

“Tell me where you left Klaus,” Ben says, his voice dangerous in a way he’s never heard it before. “Or we’ll rip your arms off.” 

Hargreeves can’t quite move his head, but it’s not stopping him from trying to signal to someone. Ben can hear them moving outside the door, Mom or Pogo undoubtedly. Another tentacle slams into the door, dragging a metal counter over to block it. 

“He’s training,” Hargreeves begins, although it’s as far as he gets before the tentacle on his left arm tightens. Ben can feel the delight racing through his chest as the tentacle feels something within the arm crack. Hargreeves’s yelp is far from dignified. His answer comes quickly after that. “There’s a cemetery, in the woods at the city’s limits.” 

“Take us to him,” Ben commands, his voice larger than it’s ever been before.

===

The ride to the cemetery is awkward. Everyone’s squeezed into the car, even Mom and Pogo.

When Dad had finally agreed to take them, Ben- his tentacles, whatever- had moved the metal slabs and dragged him from the room. Pogo and Mom had both flipped out when they came out, calling out questions that Ben didn’t even seem to hear as he led the way, Dad almost jogging to keep up with the tentacles pulling him along. At least Ben had enough sense about him to get in the big car. Diego’s crammed in the middle row with Luther and Allison and Mom, Pogo and Five and Vanya behind them, with no one really wanting to get close to Ben and Dad and Ben’s, well, whatever it is that lives inside of him. Well, almost no one- Luther had certainly tried and Pogo looked like he thought really hard about it. Diego’d stopped Luther, though, and Pogo had gotten the message in the process. 

He’s not sure why Ben’s so worked up over Klaus’s training. It probably sucks, but come on, they’ve all been there, it’s not like he can’t just power through it. Regardless, though, Ben is worked up and Diego’s not letting Luther do something stupid like try to get in between them. Mom probably would have stepped in by now, except Diego’s pretty sure that her programming is having a stressful time trying to decide between protecting Dad versus protecting her kids. There’s no way Dad ever figured one of them would get the upper hand on him, so there’s no way there’s any protocol for this in her coding. Pogo could probably override it, but Diego’s not letting him get close to Mom, so it doesn’t matter. He just keeps a hand on Luther’s arm and talks to Mom quietly, calming her down as she asks confused questions. He’s pretty sure this is the first time she’s ever left the house, with Dad too stressed out to realize and stop her. Not the first outing he would have chosen for her, but whatever. 

They make it to the woods and drive a few miles down a poorly graveled road, bumping and grumbling quietly enough that hopefully Ben doesn’t notice, before they get to an overgrown cemetery. Dad and Ben walk up ahead while the rest of them pile out. Diego walks to the sign, running his fingers along the cracked metal. 

“King’s Cemetery, Founded 1831,” Vanya reads. Her voice wobbles as she says it, glancing around at the less than inviting place. It definitely looks like the set for some sort of horror flick. There are broken gravestones everywhere and everything is overgrown with weeds and ivy. 

“Come on, let’s follow them,” Luther says, tugging Diego along. 

There’s two crypts and Dad’s leading them toward the one on the left, but Ben stops and cocks his head like he’s listening to something. Diego tries but doesn’t hear anything, not even any wind or birds or anything. Ben seems to have picked up something, though, because he jerks Dad roughly away from the one he’s heading toward and starts walking to the right of the cemetery and that crypt. 

“Can you open that?” Diego asks Luther, motioning toward the crypt as they get closer. He’s getting worried about how much effort Ben’s got to be using to keep Dad all wrapped up like that. Luther rolls his eyes but goes forward quicker, sliding by Ben and up to the door. Diego tries not to sigh in relief when he doesn’t try to interfere with Dad and Ben without him there to keep holding him back. 

They all stand there, varying levels of stress and worry, as Luther gives the crypt door a tug. It comes off loudly, clanging to the ground, and Diego swears out loud as they catch a glimpse of Klaus. 

If he didn’t know it was Klaus, couldn’t hear the low noises coming out of him, he’d be freaking out over the dead body in front of him, over his dead brother. He hears Vanya gasp, hears Allison swear quietly, even hears Mom let out a quiet cry. 

Ben moves quickly, tentacles retracting, sliding back into him as he throws himself forward, toward the ground and Klaus. Dad goes to move, but Luther and he jump at the same time, each grabbing a side. Diego’s relieved that Luther seems to have forgotten his whole “protect Dad” directive in the face of what’s been done to Klaus. If he was still trying to protect him, Diego’s pretty sure the fight wouldn’t end between Luther and him until one of them was in the hospital. Dad struggles against them, but Luther hisses something at him and he actually seems to listen, giving up and standing between them angrily instead as they hold his arms. 

Diego can’t take his eyes off of Klaus and Ben. Ben’s pulled him into his lap, is petting at his head and trying to get him to- God, what’s he even doing? He’s shaking, almost like a seizure in a movie, and so pale. His breathing is erratic and he looks a million times worse than all the times Diego saw him after an overdose. 

“Klaus,” Mom murmurs, moving forward, her voice confused and small. 

“L-leave ‘em alone, Mom,” Diego stutters out, and she pauses, but nods and steps back to stand beside him. He’s glad, because he’s a little afraid Ben might try to kill any of them if they get too close. Did he know about this all along? No wonder he got so mad when Klaus didn’t show up. Since returning, they’ve somehow all managed to avoid the intensive training sessions with him somehow. Until now. He wonders if his other siblings’ training sessions are quite so traumatizing, tries not to think about how rough his own are, even if they pale in comparison to this. 

Ben jerks at his voice, though, when he shushes Mom. From the ground, he looks up at Diego, desperation written all over his whole body. He’s openly crying and Diego can feel his heart breaking even more. “Diego, c’mere- he, I, he needs someone who, he needs someone who he knows is alive.” 

Diego can’t help the choked out noise that comes out of him at that, but he lets go of Dad and immediately moves toward the crypt. He sees Five slide into his place, less gentle with his grip than he’d been if that’s even possible. 

It’s so cold in the tomb, just frigid, sucking all the warmth out of him. He can’t imagine how cold Klaus must be, how many hours he must have been trapped in here. When had Dad even left with him? Sometime this morning? 

He drops to his knees alongside Ben, letting Ben hand Klaus over to him. He’s horrified by how cold Klaus is, by how hard he’s shaking, by the quiet keening niose he’s got going on- words barely able to be made out in the middle of the whine. He shuffles a bit, shifting to get Klaus closer to him, willing him to take on some of his body heat. 

He situates Klaus’s head against his chest, remembering what Ben said about needing someone he knew was alive. He rests his wrist close to the ear not pressed against him. 

“C’mon, Klaus, come back to us. Listen, come on, listen to me, Klaus,” he starts muttering, curling his body around him. He can’t bring himself to look out at his family; he knows that if he sees his siblings’ terror or his father’s indifference he’ll lose it completely. So he focuses on Klaus. 

“Come on, Klaus, it’s me, it’s D-Diego and Ben, l-listen, y’hear that heartbeat? This is real, we’re here and we’re alive and we’re fine, you’re fine, come on, Klaus-” he’s not even sure what kind of stuff he’s saying, just anything that comes into his head. 

It must work though, because suddenly Klaus gasps, tensing even more and jerking against him. Diego keeps him close while he struggles, relieved when he finally seems to figure it out. Klaus leans into him, his breath evening out. 

“Diego?” he hears Klaus mutter. 

“That’s right, you’re fine, we’re here,” Diego says, trying to keep himself from shaking now that the terror has receded a bit. “Ben figured it out, got us here to help.” 

Klaus shifts a little bit, catching sight of Ben. He lifts a hand toward Ben. Ben shuffles closer, pressing in against them both. 

“Let’s get you out of here, yeah?” Ben asks, voice tight. Klaus lets out a laugh that makes Diego want to throw up, nodding against him. 

“Yeah. Let’s, yeah. Yeah.” 

Diego manages to pick him up- he wasn’t positive he’d be able to. He hadn’t worked out quite as much when he was younger, and while he’s been working on it since they got here, he’s definitely got a ways to go to get back to where he’s used to being. Lifting Klaus from their awkward crouch wasn’t a given. 

As soon as they make it out of the crypt, Mom’s there beside him, rubbing gently at Klaus’s shoulder. “Oh, sweetie. Let’s get you home and warm, darling.” 

Klaus stifles a laugh against Diego’s chest, and Diego pretends not to notice when it turns into a sob.

===

There are so many voices; they’re all quiet, hissing almost, weaving into each other in a dull roar. He wishes they would stop. He presses his face tighter against Diego. Diego tightens his grip on him, pulling him closer to him. Somewhere above him? Beside him? Somewhere, somewhere, Ben’s hand wraps firmly around his ankle. Ben’s hand. Because he’s here and he’s real and he’s alive. He focuses on Diego’s breathing, the steady up and down rise that his head is swaying with, and tries to tune out everything but the sound of his heartbeat.

Thump- there’s Luther’s voice, saying something- thump- there’s Allison’s reply, clipped and harsh, Allison’s reply because- thump- she got her voice back, her throat isn’t slit anymore because- thump- they’re here, trapped in this hellhole with the sadistic- thump- they’re trapped here because the world ended and Five did whatever it is that- thump- and they’re just ---

“Hey, hey, Klaus, calm down,” Diego’s voice comes, pressed close to his ear. He startles, curls even more into him, and nods. 

Diego’s always pretty good in a crisis, after all. 

He lets the heartbeat under his ear lull him, focuses on breathing along with Diego, focuses on the feel of Ben’s fingers curled against his ankle bone. 

He must doze off or something, because when he comes to- jerking slightly until Diego’s arms tighten around him and Ben murmurs something that sounds like it’s probably meant to be reassuring- they seem to be unloading the car, everyone piling out. He can hear arguing again, Luther’s voice raising and Mom chiming in, dear old Dad trying to get a word in but Vanya cutting him off. He can’t quite make out the words, doesn’t really care and his head hurts and his whole body hurts and there’s so much noise, there’s always so much noise. He just wishes it would stop, that it would all- 

Diego apparently ends the argument by leaving the others to it, Ben trailing alongside, never removing his hand from Klaus’s leg. 

They make it to his room without interruption, and when someone- was that Five?- pops up at the door, Ben slams it, silencing whatever they were saying. His head feels so full and so dizzy, like he’s trapped underwater. Diego’s holding him up, perched behind him on the bed and letting him rest against his chest, while Ben’s pulling his shirt off of him. 

They both hiss when they see his arms uncovered, and he has enough presence of mind to look down at them- streaked in dirt and claw marks. Apparently uncovering your potential is code for letting crazed ghosts claw at you because your adrenaline is so spiked that they’re manifesting like Ben did- like Ben did- like Ben did because he had to manifest- like Ben did because he had to because he was- oh, Ben- is he- 

“I’m not dead, Klaus,” Ben says, pressing his palms against his cheeks, forcing him to make eye contact. “I’m right here. Remember? Five and the jump, he brought me with you. You brought me with you. I’m here and I’m alive, okay?” 

“‘Kay,” he manages, wondering how much of his brain babble has been making it out to the real world. 

“‘Kay’ is right,” Ben mutters, using something- what even is that?- to wipe off his arms. “They do this to you?” 

He nods. Last thing he needs is for Ben to think he’s slid down that road again. 

“Geez. Okay, well, there’s your top cleaned up a bit. Here, can you help me get this shirt on you?” 

He’d very much like to help, but it turns out that he can’t. He finds himself listing forward and almost falling until Diego catches him, supporting him more fully and helping Ben get the shirt on him. He’s just so tired. 

“Sleep in a few, bud,” Diego says, helping shift him more as Ben starts to take his pants off. At least his legs aren’t so bad, just a little bit on the right calf, maybe, where that one bitch had- she’d just- and her fingers had clawed out, it hadn’t been natural-

“She’s not here, Klaus,” Ben says, rubbing whatever that is- what is that?- against his leg, cleaning him off. 

“Better not be my shirt,” Klaus answers, and Ben huffs a laugh. 

They work together to get some pajama bottoms on him and then share a quick look over his head. He can’t tell what the look says, just catches that it’s happening. He’s too tired to really care, already trying to curl into a ball now that he’s clean and warm and about as safe as he probably ever will be while still being inside this house. 

Ben leaves the room and Klaus can’t help the noise he makes, trying to will him back. 

“Give him a sec, calm down,” Diego says, all but manhandling him into a more comfortable position on the bed. Laying down is vastly superior to slumping, so Klaus nods agreeably. Diego crouches down by the bed, flipping Klaus’s bangs out of his face, so Klaus crosses his eyes at him and manages a grin when Diego laughs. There’s an awkward pause after the laugh; Diego’s clearly working up to saying something, but he’s saved from having to feel things and express them (the horror!) by Ben (The Horror!). Klaus cracks up at his own wit, though he’s mildly put out when it becomes clear that, of course, his really good joke didn’t make it out of his head and into their ears. Diego laughs a bit at his outburst, running a hand across his forehead, before standing up to talk to Ben. 

“I’m going to go see what our fearless leader and our more sensible siblings have decided,” Diego says, and Klaus watches him tip his head back toward the bed. 

“Tell them if they don’t come up with something, I’ll just kill him,” Ben answers, voice dark and serious. Klaus’s eyebrows raise at that. 

“Rather not be killed,” Klaus murmurs, not sure what they’re trying to decide about him or what he’s done to make Ben so Five-esque, but sure that he’s not really feeling the dying thing. It’s so very much work. 

“Not you, dumbass,” Ben answers. “Hargreeves.” 

“Oh.” Klaus hadn’t considered him, hadn’t considered what this rescue mission would mean, hadn’t considered what it likely entailed. The thought of Ben killing Hargreeves is a nice one, though. He hums happily at the image. 

Diego rolls his eyes as he looks at him, “I’ll be back in a bit, Klaus. Try to get some sleep or something, okay?” 

Klaus is so tired, and all the noises and voices have stopped, and he’s finally starting to get warm, so he nods his consent. Sleep would be nice. He can do that. 

He grins when Ben comes over, shoving gently at him and curling up behind him. “Figures you’d want to be the big spoon.” 

Ben laughs against his neck, “How so?” 

“Just does,” he answers, not feeling like trying to explain when everything has gone from horrific to actually pretty great. Better if Diego hadn’t left, but pretty great. 

“He’ll be back, don’t worry,” Ben tells him, and as he dozes off, Klaus wonders if he said that aloud or if Ben’s just developed some sort of telepathic power. Ah, well, there are worse things… things he can worry about later, when Ben’s arm isn’t snaking around his waist and pulling him back against him.


End file.
